Rodent infestation, bird droppings, bugs lead to spice seizure at Miami company

Rodent infestation, bird droppings, bugs lead to spice seizure at Miami company

United States Marshals seized more than 25,000 bulk bags and boxes of ready-to-eat spices and food additives Friday because they were being held in unsanitary conditions in Miami.

The seizure at Lyden Spice Corporation, on behalf of the Food and Drug Administration, involved spices including red chili and sesame seeds, and food additives such as monosodium glutamate, according to a notice from the FDA. The items were exposed to prevalent rodent infestation as well as other hazards including bugs.

Working with the FDA, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a problem in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, declaring that the food products at Lyden Spice Corporation’s facility were adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. It asked for that the foodstuff be condemned and forfeited to the United States.

The problem filed in the federal court declares unsanitary conditions were discovered during an assessment of Lyden Spice Corporation that the FDA performed between June 8 and June 28 this year. That inspection revealed conditions consisting of rodent feces too many to rely on and around pallets with containers of food, evidence of rodent gnawing and urine on food containers, and rodent nesting material in between food pallets.

The FDA investigators likewise saw live and dead insects on food packaging, in addition to evident bird droppings in the food storage area.

” The FDA plays a critical function in safeguarding the U.S. food supply and assisting to ensure that our food is not polluted at any point during its journey along the supply chain,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D.

” We take our responsibility seriously and will continue to do something about it versus those who threaten the safety and quality of the products we control as a necessary step to safeguard the general public health and the security of Americans. The prevalent insanitary conditions discovered at the Lyden Spice Corporation are troubling and won’t be endured.”

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